For Delta, it’s a new dawn with Okowa

At his inauguration on May 29 last year as the fourth executive governor of Delta State, Dr. Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa didn’t waste time in declaring his intention to fulfill his campaign mantra of prosperity to all Deltans.

In his inaugural speech, shortly after he was sworn in alongside his Deputy, Kingsley Otuaro at the Cenotaph Venue of the event in a carnival-like atmosphere, Okowa told the huge crowd which came to witness the ceremony, that politicians must realize that promises made during the heat of campaigns are meant to be kept as that is the only way to maintain the trust and confidence that is necessary between the people and their leaders.

He acknowledged the challenges that confront the new administration as a result of the prevailing economic predicament, which he hinged on the turbulence in the global oil market resulting in dwindling oil prices with negative impact on the revenues of the state.

According to him, “Our promise of prosperity for all Deltans is not a catch phrase or campaign rhetoric. It is predicated on the fundamental premise that we will succeed as a government when our people succeed. We must esteem merit over mediocrity, performance over favouritism and unity over nepotism.”

Okowa enumerated a five-point agenda of strategic wealth creation; peace-building platforms; agricultural reforms and accelerated industrialization; relevant health and education policies; and transformed environment through urban renewal, which he encapsulated in the acronym SMART.

He told the crowd which included his predecessor, Emmanuel Uduaghan, his wife Nere; ex-Deputy-Governor, Amos Utuama and a host of prominent Deltans that four executive bills, the Delta State Contributory Health Bill, 2015, Technical Vocational Education Board Bill, 2015 and the Asaba Capital Development Agency Bill, 2015 will be forwarded to the State House of Assembly.

The new governor said that his administration would give strength to the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC) Law by restructuring its board and management in line with the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) model through an amendment bill.

One year after, Okowa may not have succeeded in making the state a paradise, but to an extent, he has demonstrated that he is, indeed, a man of his word; that politicians are supposed to labour vigorously to keep faith with their electoral promises. The governor has certainly been up and doing on every aspect of his five-point agenda in spite of the challenging financial period in the history of the state.

One way or the other, all the three Senatorial Districts have felt the impact of his administration. This was confirmed recently when he set out for over three weeks to commission different projects like roads, schools, hospitals, youth empowerment schemes and agricultural development across the state.

Determined to tackle the triple evils of unemployment, youth restiveness and widespread poverty, the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Patrick Ukad said early in his administration, Okowa introduced the Job and Wealth Creation Scheme which included the Youth Agricultural Entrepreneurs Programme (YAGEP), Skills Training and Entrepreneurship Programme (STEP), Micro-credit; and Production and Processing Support Programme (PPSP).

Ukah remarked that these programmes are targeted, among other things, at creating jobs and wealth; diversifying the economy through development of non-oil sectors; engaging youths in productive enterprises; nurturing entrepreneurs and leaders; and promoting communal peace and security.

Focusing on unemployed youths aged 18-35 years, the Commissioner remarked that YAGEP and STEP trainees are given starter packs to establish their own enterprises after going through a three-phase training regimen in life skills, internship, and business management and entrepreneurship, adding that grandaunts of both schemes are branded STEPreneurs and YAGEPreneurs, respectively, in line with the entrepreneurship thrust of the job creation strategy.

He said, “Overall, a total of 17,173 private sector jobs of both skilled and unskilled workers were created through projects, policies and programmes initiated by the Okowa administration. Out of this number, 6,800 were direct jobs while 10,373 were indirect jobs, of both skilled and unskilled workers.”

The commissioner explained further that as part of the state’s inclusive economic growth strategy, the sum of N546 million was disbursed to a total number of 3,110 persons which comprise of 2,052 females representing 66% of the loan recipients and 1,058 males representing 34% within the various micro, small and medium enterprises from May 2015 to April 30, 2016.

Ukah noted that the ratio is in compliance with the Central Bank of
Nigeria (CBN) regulations that 60% of micro credit should go to women, adding that the disbursement cuts across the cottage industries at 6%, trading – 29%, agriculture – 41%, agro-processing -16%, services.

According to him, the state government distributed tractors to 64 co-operative societies under the PPSP while another set of 106 cooperative societies got Mellon Sheller while 18 other cooperative societies received outboard engines and fishing gears support packages, noting that a total of 815 farmers were given various support packages.

He said that the beneficiaries included 475 cassava farmers who were given improved variety of cassava cuttings, fertilizer and cash component; 100 fishery farmers who were supported with fingerlings, feeds and cash; 100 poultry broiler farmers were supported with 200 day-old chicks; 50 poultry layer farmers were given 200 layers, feeds and cash; and 50 piggery farmers were given ten growers, feeds and cash and 40 tomatoes farmers who got seedlings, agrochemicals and cash.

Ukah noted that Okowa did not waste time in setting up the Delta State
Vocational and Technical Education Board shortly after his inauguration, thus is because of his strong conviction that the solution to the nation’s unemployment crisis lies with skills acquisition and not certificate acquisition.

Continuing, he said that the state government had immediately commenced the rehabilitation of three technical colleges in Ofagbe,
Sapele and Agbor, adding that the schools were commissioned during the one-year anniversary celebration. Also commissioned is the Law Faculty Complex of the Delta State University, Oleh.

On health, he noted that the Delta State Contributory Health Commission was inaugurated in fulfillment of the governor’s promise of making Delta the first state in the country to have a mandatory health insurance scheme for the purpose of universal healthcare coverage.

Quoting the governor, the commissioner said: “When the insurance scheme is fully operational, it will lead to a more robust healthcare system, improved quality and more affordable healthcare delivery as well as significantly better health outcomes. Even more significant to me is that the poor, women and the vulnerable will no longer have to seek recourse to money lenders to pay for health services, leading to further impoverishment.”

He noted that the first year of Okowa’s administration has witnessed massive infrastructural progress in the construction of roads, markets development and the building of hospitals and schools and that at least, 54 road construction/rehabilitation contracts have been done so far.